What to Feed Golden Retriever Puppies

Golden retrievers, a breed of dog that originated from Britain, are popular due to their loyalty and playfulness. Puppies in particular are lively, full of energy and commonly friendly. If you have recently added a golden retriever puppy to your family, you should carefully select the food you give to this new addition, as it's still growing and developing, making diet crucial. What and how much your golden retriever puppy should eat will depend upon its age and weight.

  1. Nursing

    • Just like human babies, your golden retriever baby is best served by dining on mother's milk during its infancy. Until the age of 7 weeks, golden retriever puppies should eat exclusively mother's milk. In most cases, new owners can't take home their prized pups until after this seven weeks has elapsed, as it's so critical that puppies not be separated from their mothers during this time.

    Puppy Formula

    • If your golden retriever puppy was separated from his mother prior to 7 weeks of age, it will not yet be ready for standard puppy food. To ensure that the puppy receives the nutrients it needs, feed him puppy formula, a liquid meal available from pet specialty stores. Because puppy formula moves through your puppy's system more quickly than hard food, feed the puppy every three hours, giving it 1 cc of formula for every ounce of body weight at each feeding. Use a baby bottle or bottle designed for puppy feeding to feed your puppy this liquid meal.

    Puppy Gruel

    • After 7 weeks of age, your puppy will be ready to snack on puppy food. However, as your golden retriever makes its first attempts at eating solid food, it likely won't be ready to chomp down on hard puppy food. Make this transition easier for the pup by mixing up some puppy gruel. To make this mixture, combine one cup of puppy food with one-half cup of water. Allow the food to soak in the water for several minutes, softening, before you present the dish to your pup. As unappetizing as this concoction may sound, it will provide a good transitional meal for your golden retriever pup.

    Puppy-Specific Food

    • As your golden retriever grows stronger and more skilled at eating from its bowl, start to transition to standard puppy food. Select a brand that appeals to you and stick to it because shifting back and forth between brands can present a problem. To ensure proper feeding, keep track of your pup's weight and follow feeding instructions on your food package, as each food differs slightly.